Hong Kong will Recognize Same-Sex Marriages for Visas

Hong Kong’s administration said yesterday that it will accept applications for same-sex visas from countries where gay and lesbian couples are legally able to get married. This decision came after reviewing a court ruling in favor of a British lesbian who applied to live with her her wife in Hong Kong.

LGBT activists are saying that this puts Hong Kong at the forefront of LGBT rights in Asia.

This decision is also good news for businesses who say that that visa laws toward gay and lesbian couples have prevented some of the world’s best talent from residing in HK.

“As major employers in Hong Kong’s financial and legal sectors, we are proud to have supported the QT case that led to this outcome, and will continue to advocate for policies and practices that promote equality and inclusion,” a group of 32 banks and law firms with offices in Hong Kong said in a joint statement.

Though, the government was painfully clear that the decision did not impact residents of Hong Kong.

“The revision has nothing to do with legal recognition of same-sex civil partnership, same-sex civil union, same-sex marriage, opposite-sex civil partnership or opposite-sex civil union in Hong Kong,” it said in a statement. “Nor should there be any expectation of such a plan by the government.”